Monday, November 28, 2016

Country: South-KoreaFormat: web-drama in 2 episodes (6 min per ep)Genre: romance, youthCast: Lee Min Ho, Im Yoon Ah,Synopsis: Min Ho and Yoona have been friends for years, even though most of their communication is arguing about pointless things. When Yoona is offered a chance to move abroad with another guy, Min Ho decides it is time to come clear with his true feelings.Rating: 1/5
Let's start of with the fact that it is actually crime to call it a "drama" even for "web-drama" it is not enough. In reality we are dealing with product endorsement for InnisFree "Summer Cushion". Who are not aware then InnisFree is South-Korean natural make-up company. The price of this cushion is around 25 euros (26 dollars) on their web-store. (Seriously I would like to go to South-Korea just because of their make-up companies).

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Also known as: Love at first LINECountry: ChinaFormat: mini-drama in 3 episodes (16 min per ep)Genre: romance, musicCast: Lee Min Ho, Bea Hayden, Kim Bo Mi, Kim Kang HyunSynopsis: Min Ho is famous composer who is struggling to write new songs. Ling Ling is Chinese tourist who happens to meet with Min Ho without knowing who he is. Min Ho finds his muse in Ling Ling. Despite language barriers they add each other on LINE messenger app.Rating: 3/5
So yeah, when you know what LINE is, then you understand that it is actually a promotional mini-drama for the app. LINE is widely used in Asia and you can just ask Yanne how famous it is. The drama shows almost every possibility of LINE usage and is great promotion for it.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Country: South-Korea
Format: drama in 17 episodes
Genre: Supernatural, romance
Cast: So Ji Sub, Kong Hyo Jin, Seo In Gak, Kim Yoo Ri, L, Choi Jung Woo, Kim Mi Kyung, Lee Jong Won, Han Bo Reum, Hwang Sun Hee, Park Hee Von, Lee Jae Won, Jung Ka Eun,Synopsis: After being in an accident, Tae Kong Gil develops ability to see and hear ghosts. For years ghosts are coming to her in order to find help to move on to the "other side". Only bad thing is that Tae Kong Gil is scared to death by ghosts. On one stormy night her road crosses with Joo Joon Won - rich businessman who values only money. She ends up discovering that all ghosts disappear once she touches Joo Joon Won. After finding her "safe-spot", she is willing to do anything in order to stay by his side.
Rating: 5/5
I heard the uproar and success of this drama for 3 years and yes it took me 3 years until I decided to watch it.. alone in my weird apartment in Lisbon. Never been more afraid to turn off the living room lights in the middle of the night. It is not exactly scary movie, but as I am a big scaredy-cat then it was enough for me.

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Country: ChinaFormat: movieGenre: romance, dramaCast: Xu Jinglei, Kris Wu, Wang Likun, Gordon Alexander, Cong Shan, Sophia Cai Shuya, Juck Zhang, Re Yisha, Synopsis: After losing her grandmother and being dumped by fiance Jin Tian travels to Prague, Chech Republic, in order to find something connected to her grandmother, who used to live in there when she was younger. In addition to grandmothers past, Jin Tian learns about herself, love and life after meeting with Zeyang.Rating: 5/5
This is amazing movie that left a great impression from the start. It is in a way post-war movie, showing the reflections of how war can separate families.

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Also known as: Ants without umbrellaCountry: JapanFormat: short drama in 4 episodesGenre: drama, slice of lifeCast: Kiriyama Ren, Kato Shigeaki, Minamisawa Nao, Sakata Masanobu, Adachi Rika, Ryu Raita, Watanabe Mai, Kobayashi Ryota, Ichikawa Riku, Takeda Rena, Niitsu Chise, Synopsis: Hashimoto Jun is sci-fi writer who has been unsuccesful in writing any new book for many years. One day his editor asks him to write love-themed short story for online youth magazine. Writer who has never written anything connected to love, feels the pressure of possible failure. Despite not seeing each other for years, one night his old schoolmate Murata Keisuke stops at his place. While talking to each other, Jun begins to remember his youth years filled with bittersweet memories. Rating: 5/5

For me Kato Shigeaki has been genius for all the years that I know him (he is one person who I would like to know personally). The whole "Ants without umbrella" has been put together from his same-named short-story collection. Further more, all the book and story names in the drama are from this short-story collection. I take the moment to divide the story-lines of the drama to the short-stories.

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Country: South-KoreaFormat: drama in 8 episodesGenre: drama,Cast: Beetle, Yoo Seung Ho, Chi Hye Jung, Solar, Han Ye Ri, Park Chul Min, Lee El, Solar, Kim Min Suk, Shim Min, Choi Twae Han, Kim Hyun Joon,Synopsis: It has been already 7 years since Hyun Jung Hyun found Bok Gil in a dumbster on a rainy night. Hyun Jung Hyun is aspiring webtoon artist, who is working part-time in book-store to make the ends meet, and Bok Gil is his supporting cat. One day Hyun Jung Hyun meets Oh Na Woo, who becomes the first woman to make a difference in Hyun Jung Hyun's and Bok Gil's every day life.Rating: 3/5
It was the comeback movie for Yoo Seung Ho after releasing from military service.
The awesome thing about this drama is that it makes you think about many things. With quick episodes it still rises to question many social problems starting from our pets to overcoming the loss of a friend. The script is based on webtoon "Cat's Imagination" by Kim Kyung.

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Country: ChinaFormat: movieGenre: comedy, mysticalCast: Aaron Kwok, Gong Li, Feng Shaofeng, Kelly Chen, Xiaoshenyang, Him Law, Fei Xiang,Synopsis: It has been 500 years since Sun Wukong, also known as Monkey King, has been sealed under Five Fingers Mountain. While passing from the mountain on the way to India to collect Buddha's scriptures, young monk Tang Sanzang accidentally breaks the seal and frees Monkey King. The Mercy Goddess gives Monkey King a duty to protect the monk on his journey as there is a bad eye luring on the land of Yun Hai Xi Kingdom. Rating: 1/5
As you know it is not usual for me to watch Chinese movie and especially sequel without seeing the first movie. That is why this review is written without seeing and knowing what happened in the first movie, but there is only little connection to the sequel. If you ask me the reason why I even watched it, then let's just say that it was only available movie on that night when I think about the situation back then. The movie is based on a classic Chinese novel "Journey to the West" by Wu Cheng'en, so who is more familiar to Chinese legends and literature might find a lot of interesting things from the movie.

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Also known as: Flowers for AlgernonCountry: JapanFormat: drama in 10 episodesGenre: dramaCast: Yamashita Tomohisa, Kuriyama Chiaki, Kubota Masataka, Kudo Asuka, Kikuchi Fuma, Tanimura Mitsuki, Oomasa Aya, Ishimaru Kanji, Kaai Gamon, Maeda Goki, Ishida Issei, Kusakari Tamiyo,Synopsis: Shiratori Sakuto was born with mental disability, so that at age of 28 his intellectual mind is still the same as 6-year-old. He grew up at flower's delivery store after his father's death and his biggest wish is to become smart so that his mother would accept him. His wish is granted when group of scientists need voluntary person with mental disability for their research experiment. As Sakuto's intelligent is increasing, his world as he knew it is collapsing.Rating: 5/5
"Flowers for Algernon" is based on same-titled award-winning short story by Daniel Keyes. It has made into drama once before in 2002 with Yusuke Santamaria and Kanno Miho as leads and Korean version is "Hello, God" (2006) starring Yoo Gun and Kim Ok Bin. I actually took time from my sleeping hours and read it. If you have a chance, then you definitely should read it.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Country: South-KoreaFormat: movieGenre: romance,Cast: Park Bo Young, Song Joong Ki, Yoo Yeon Seok, Jang Young Nam, Kim Hyang Gi, Yoo Seung Mok, Lee Young Ran, Seo Dong Soo, Ahn Do Kyu, Jand Seo Yi, Woo Jung Kook, Synopsis: After an unexpected call Soon Yi visits old country house in Korea. She recalls memories of when her family moved to the countryside to cure her chronic lung ailment and found an orphan boy living in the barn.Rating: 5/5
The first time I got to know about this movie was from "Mostar" drama in 2013. It is the movie that is shown in the one episode where everybody are going on dates to the cinema to watch "The Werewolf boy" in the cinema.